West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-06-03
MOSBY'S WAR REMINISCEN.
CES.

in Southwestern Virginia of Lin
coins demand for troops to suppress
the rebellion" in the South. "All
the pride and affection that Virgin
ians had felt in the traditions of the
government that their ancestors had
made" he writes, "and the great in
heritance which they had bequeath-
ed. were lost in the overpowering
sentiment of sympathy with the peo-
pie who were threatened with inva-
sion. 1t is a mistake to suppose
that the Virginia people went to war
in obedience to any decree Of their
State commanding them to 90. On
the contrary, the people were in a
State armed revolution before the
State acted in its corporate capaci-
ty. / went along with the flood like
everybody else" We pass from the
early part of Mosby's career as
private in the Washington Mounted
Rifles, which was afterwards incor-
porated in Stuart's regiment, to
period of his later history, which is
more noted for its incidents. But
in passing it is well to give his brief
and lifelike portrait of the great
cavalry leader as he appears in the
beginning Of his career. II first
saw Stuart" he says, sat Bunker
Hill, (between Winchester and Mar
tinsburg.) He had then lately re-
signed from the United States army
to link his fortunes with the South
err Confederacy He was just TWEEN
ty-eight years of age-one year old
than myself-strongly built, with
blue eyes, ruddy complexion and a
reddish beard. He wore blouse
and q foraging cap with linen COW
er, called q havelock, as protection
against the Sun. His personal APP
pearance indicated the distinguish
ING traits of his character-dash,
great strength Of will and indomi-
table energy. Stuart soon showed
that he possessed all the qualities of
a great leader Of cavalry-a sound
Judgment, Il quick intelligence to
penetrate the designs Of an enemy,
mingled with the brilliant courage
of Rupert" After the first year of
the war, the events of which are in
terestingly related, he became a
scout for Stuart, and with few men
under his command rendered valua-
services. This is the Colonels
/ Christmas story of 1862; "a regi-
ment Of Pennsylvania cavalry left
their camp on the OccOquan and
/ their Christmas turkeys, and came
out TO look for us. They had better
have stayed at home, for all the good
they did was to lead Stnart's caval-
ry into their camp as they ran
through it. After leaving Dumfries,
Stuart ashed me to take Beattie and
90 on ahead. The road ran through
q dense forest and there was dan
ger of an ambuscade. of which every
soldier has.a horror who has read Of
Braddock's defeat. Beattie and |
went forward at gallor until we
met q large body Of cavalry. AS
no support was in sight, several Off
GERS made a dash at us, and at the
same time opened such n fire as to
show that peace on earth and good
will to men, which the angels and
morning stars had sung on that day
over 800 years ago, was no part of
their creed. The very fact that we
did not run away ought to have
warned them that somebody was be-
hind us. When the whole body had
got within short distance of us,
Stuart, who had heard the firing,
came laundering up with the First
Virginia Cavalry. All the fun was
over with the Pennsyivanians then.
There was no more merry Christmas
for them. Wade Hampton was rid
ing by the side of Stuart. He went
into the fightand fought like a com
mon Tor rather an uncommon troop.
er. The combat was short and
sharp, and soon became rout.
The Federal cavalry ran right
through their camp, and gave last
look at their turkeys as they passed,
but, alas! they were grease but liv-
ing grease no more for them. "
The operations of Mosby with his
company of partisans in 1S63-64 in
Fauquier and Loudon counties
"the Flanders of the war''-include,
perhaps, the most interesting incl
dents of the famous rangers cam
paigns. The military value of a
partisan's work." he very justly OBJ
serves, lis not measured by the
amount of property destroyed or the
number of men killed or captured,
but by the number he keeps watch
ING. Every soldier withdrawn from
the front to guard the rear of an ar
my is so much taken from its fight
ing strength" This was the motive
of Mosby's adventures. He adds:
MY men had no camps. If they
had gone into camp they would have
been captured. They would scatter
for safety and gather at my call like
the Children of the Mist A blow
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